Friday, December 20, 2013

I forgot to post these two photos from last weekend at 21C. they have quite a few interesting art exhibits there on display. One of them was a Cuban artist that made this grouping of people out of clothes, and then the other photo shows a tiger made out of street cones which hangs above the bar in the restaurant . A lady there told S that he had to take a photo of it with his flash, and sure enough it had a very cool effect.

keeping myself busy this week running errands. got all my grades finalized on Monday and then went by mom and dad's to discuss having everyone over for Christmas. Tuesday I don't even remember and then Wednesday I ran errands to garden ridge and hobby lobby to get half off Christmas ornaments and other stuff for decorations. Yesterday I went to the grocery and got tons of baking stuff and made cookies all day. I'm going to take some over to my friend A's work (the girl I move furniture with) and then also U. my mechanic friend and ask him about my 2000 Ford Ranger that's been at his garage since May, at this point if we can't get a rebuilt/used transmission put in it then I should prolly just sell it for parts. I've been up every morning swimming laps this week and then again before working out at 5. so I hope to keep up swimming twice a day while on break. Hope all are enjoying the holiday season. :)

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Monday, December 16, 2013

finished up a great weekend in AR by going to church with S, his bf, and the bf's 11 year old son on Sunday morning. Was not what I'm used to with the band on stage rocking and rolling a few Christmas songs and actually finishing out the service with "Jeremiah was a bull frog!....etc.." ha
and the sermon had been written so that it was all in rhyme, also interesting, but overall a great experience and S and B introduced me to a few friends there and everyone was so nice and friendly.
Afterwards we went to Mimi's cafe for lunch and met up with a gay couple, one of which was B's best bud there in AR. What was interesting was that in the booth across from our table was Mike Duke the CEO of WalMart, same guy that was standing with Hugh Jackman Friday night when we ran into them at 21C near the town square. I couldn't help but wonder what was a guy who made around $35 million a year doing eating out at a place in town like that, but most people in Bentonville will tell you that the Walmart big whigs live sort of frugal normal lives more or less, other than the huge mansion homes all over the place. ha.
When we headed back home driving though Siloam, I showed S my alma mata there in town, pointing out which dorms I lived in and all that. We also drove by a house for sale that I'd considered buying as a rental. But upon arriving home, I'd received news that the house had a bad foundation and had been remodeled inside in an illegal way. This was from someone else that'd wanted to buy it and had it inspected etc... so that explains why the guy had a lease to own sign on the house since no back will give a loan on it. anyway, moving on.
This morning I was up and moseying around the house and up to campus by 10am. getting all my final grades entered, printed, and turned in. I pushed a few grades up of students who were at 69 and I thought decided a C, or those at 89 and I thought deserved A's. next drove across town to the dentist for my 6 month cleaning appointment. The dentist still wants me to get two crowns, but this time he said the upper tooth needed it first and next the bottom tooth blah blah, I promised him I'd get on it this spring. Drove back by through my hometown since I was on that side of OKC, and went by my sister's work to say hello, then next to folks' place to visit and talk about Christmas day set up... got a little excited conversation about my brother in law and the gift exchange plan and stuff I won't bore you with here. I'm ready to enjoy the week off!!! hoepfully tomorrow I'll be getting out and doing a bit of shopping and getting my house picked up with all the separate little piles of each previous days outfit of clothes ha. cheers! and enjoy the holiday season!!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

finished up with the semester of classes last week! was sad to say goodbye to certain favorite classes. a few of the students will repeat with me for COMP II next semester but not many because I am new and scheduled all my COMP II classes on MWF instead of T,Th like my COMP I classes were. It's cool though, a few students told me upon leaving they would have taken it if it had been available T,Th. awe. Anyway, I got all the papers back to the students last week and then we just had one sit down in class essay to write on the last day of classes THurs and Fri. for the COMP I classes they had to write about what they learned in COMP I OR Christmas Traditions. and the COMP II classes had to write about an author's point of view on Trust in anything we read from the book.
One of the guys in my favorite 930 class updated his twitter with a photo me teaching that he took on halloween when I was wearing my mask when I walked in. anyway he wrote: I've never been more depressed about leaving a class before... Imma miss this plane!
apers so yeah that was a good class. anyway I got right out of town after work Friday, I came up here to AR for the weekend and for the first time brought my buddy S with me. made for a fun quick drive because we were chatting and catching up the whole way. was awesome. the married friends with 2 boys that I always stay with sold their house and moved out last weekend, and they haven't closed on the next one yet and are with in laws, so I had nowhere to crash here in town until they get moved in, SO I stayed at B's house. B is S's boyfriend. very very comfortable bed with some vera wang sheets at 1000 threadcount according to the host. and they are so comfortable. really nice having a whole room and queen bed to myself versus the bottom bunk bed at my friends' place. ha.
We arrived into Siloam around 6 pm and I was pointing everything out to S from my good ole college town, drove him downtown, and then my ex gf place so they could finally meet. they always hear about the other for years. we got to Bentonville around 630pm and then headed out for dinner to Table Mesa. great great food. had some food and drinks, and there were these 3 women at the bar who ended up talking to B and then we were all introduced and they invited us to join them at 21C across the square. AFter we finished, sure enough, we walked over to 21C, 21C is a really snazzy restaurant/bar and hotel. half of the ground floor is a museum with all this modern art, very cool and interesing!! so anyway sitting in the lounge area suddenly appeared the reason why the women were there stalking in the first place, Hugh Jackman!! HA yup I saw Hugh Jackman in the lobby and walked within 10 feet. funny thing some people in the lounge had noticed him and were all abuzzing, I never would have recognized the guy at all. ha he was about my height 6'1 and in a long sleeve black shirt and did look sort of like him but it was just funny how I would not have even known! anyway, I walked by a few times, the ladies we were with evenutally tried getting photos and then we were back at the table all laughing about it. Jack Hanna was in a different area and we saw him too with his leather hat on. fun night.
Saturday I drove back over to SIloam and spent most of the day with the ex. we went to some local coffee shops and lunch at my favorite sandwich place, went to another coffee shop downtown to check out sofe artwork upstairs and while there saw some people we knew, however it was the guy working the counter that had me transfixed. this guy probably just out of colleg age beginning to prematurely recede his hairline and a brown scruffy beard was wearing a black button up shirt with balck suspeners and red pants. he had a very stout solid frame, but what was funny is when he truned around to get our drink order, his shirt was unbuttoned way low, and my friend I were both like, oh okay.. ha he had a furry chest showing and we were later quoting Beverly Hills Cops where Ed Murphy says that's not sexy... but what I noticed when he was ringing up up was , hello, suspenders keep those pants up in front and the dudes package bulging right there to the left right in front. damn bro!
I could help follow him with my eyes the rest of the afternoon while we were sitting around and he walekd by handing out drinks now and then. whoah.
okay well anyway, excitement over, later I went over to my best buddy J's house and hung out with him and his 3 kids an wife, we exchanged some gifts and caught up on life and everything. had dinner with the family, and later picked up the ex to go over to my friends' new house in town, they took earl;y possession yesterday and moved in just food and mattresses and such, we looked over the house, it's awesome, and then I took her home and returned here to Bentonville.
We plan to go to church this mornign with S and B and his son. they go to a gay accepting church here in Bentonville where B does the music. next we plan to have "brunch" with some friends of theirs and then I'm dragging S to Crystal Bridges art musuem for a quick look about at the art, I mean how can I not go by and see all the art while so close to it! and then we'll head back to OKC. I hope to drive him by my college on the home and also show him a house in Siloam I'd like to buy as a rental.
hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! :)

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About Me

daninokc@gmail.com
After finishing grad school I left OKC to teach overseas for a year, returned to teach high school for 3 years, and now am teaching fulltime at a community college, it's AWESOME....I'm overall an optimistic fun social type of guy. I like to take care of myself, get involved in projects, love to travel and at home just find time to RELAX.